Manatees and Oil Don’t Mix

Manatees and Oil Don’t Mix

The disastrous oil spill caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon
drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico has already impacted over 70 miles of
Louisiana coastline and is currently drifting toward other Gulf Coast
states.

If efforts to stop its progress fail, the consequences could be catastrophic
for birds, fish, sea turtles, manatees, and other wildlife found in these
areas. This is especially troubling since it comes on the heels of the worst
manatee winter die-off ever experienced, with over 500 total manatees dead
already this year and many of the deaths related to cold temperatures.

See a map from USA Today showing the spread of the oil spill in the Gulf.

The oil spill, estimated to be the worst in U.S. history, could not have come
at a worse time of the year for manatees. During the summer months, manatees are
widely distributed and can be found along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama, and Florida. In addition, manatees are herbivores, feeding on a large
variety of marine and freshwater vegetation. Oil can damage seagrass beds and
other vegetation that manatees eat, and it can block sunlight required for
vegetation to grow.

“Although there have been incidents involving dugongs and oil spills, there
doesn’t appear to be any information regarding manatees and oil spills,” said
Dr. Katie Tripp, Director of Science and Conservation for Save the Manatee Club.
“But we have seen the effect of oil on other marine mammals like seals and sea
otters, and we know that exposure to oil is toxic and could potentially cause
significant injury or death to manatees. BP’s own training manual for oil spill
responders states that thousands of animals die immediately from being inundated
with the oil, and we can expect higher death rates in populations for years
afterward. BP is also using chemical dispersants to break up the massive amounts
of oil pouring into the Gulf, and there may be both current and long-term
effects from these chemicals on marine organisms.”

Both federal and Florida state wildlife agencies have organized preparation
efforts and have been conducting aerial surveys to determine where manatees
might be located in the Florida Panhandle and into adjacent Gulf Coast states.
In addition, these agencies are developing a rescue and recovery plan for
manatees. Save the Manatee Club’s Executive Director, Patrick Rose, who formerly
headed Florida’s Office of Protected Species and coordinated federal manatee
recovery efforts, has pledged the Club’s substantial expertise and resources
towards assisting in any way possible. “Dr. Tripp and I are in regular
communication with the agencies to ensure we have first-hand information
regarding the spill and associated activities and threats," said Rose.

“Whether affected manatees would be simply relocated to a clean area or taken
into rehabilitation would likely be determined by the condition of the
individual manatee and whether that manatee had actually come into contact with
oil,” says Tripp. “More specifically, Save the Manatee Club has offered
assistance to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission, as well as the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama, to
help with the procurement of nets, stretchers, or other needed supplies or
support that may be necessary for manatee rescue or recovery.”

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